STAK ==== Stak is a CG Kobold Rogue / Blood Hunter. The Collective is an shadowy organization that claims they want to advance mortals to the next stage of their existance, though their methods are usually inhumane experimentation on unwitting subjects. Previously they had done their experiments on prisoners of the Thenalion Empire, but in the year 663 they were hired to develop a method of turning anyone into the ultimate weapon against evil in the world. To do this, they needed test subjects. They hided a mercenary group to capture a tribe of Kobolds and bring them back to the Collective. Many of the tribe was slaughtered, then the few remaining Kobolds were thrown into the back of a cart and brought to a strange facility. Before they knew it, strange men were forsibly imbibing them with dangerous alchemical concoctions, including the one known as Hunter's Bane. To many of these already-weakened Kobolds, this proved deadly. Richard Silverpoint was a member of the holy army of Valenor. At the time it was just a job, but in fighting the undead army of Alison, he found purpose, and religion. He acquired a strong sense of right, hatred of evil, and respect for those who fight it. He became a follower of Kelemvor, who helped in saving the world. After the war, he passed these sentiments to his son, Lord Richard Silverpoint II, who became a high-ranking member of the court of the Rose Queen, elevating the family to noble status. Then he passed these sentiments to his son, Richard Silverpoint III. Sensing the lack of heroes in this world like adventuring parties of the past, took it upon himself to fill that need. This Richard Silverpoint found some others who thought as he did and formed an organization called the Silver Blade whose purpose was to protect people from Fiends, Fey, Undead, and other threats, slaying these foes and defending the innocent. The organization grew and in a time of war and chaos, The Silver Blade became known as a beacon of hope and salvation, and its charasmatic leader of Richard Silverpoint became known internationally as a hero. Silverpoint arrived back at the facility of the Collective, who he had secretly hired to create a super soldier. There he found there was one survivor left, a very young Kobold, barely a child, named Stak. Silverpoint was somewhere between disappointed and furious at seeing this. Not only was the Collective failing at what he hired them to do, their methods were cruel. He could justify the means if it lead to good for humanity but they weren't even producing results. He tried to figure why this was, and decided to change methods. This Kobold, Stak, needed someone to teach him a moral code which would inspire him to become this "Ghostslayer", like his father did for him. Stak needed a guide, a father. After being taken from his home, the people in this facility would only refer to Stak as "The Subject". Over the next year or so, Stak would spend his time locked in a small cell or strapped to a table being experimented on to create what the people called a "Ghostslayer". This changed when Richard Silverpoint arrived. Silverpoint was kind and caring, and treated Stak like he was his own son. Silverpoint taught Stak about the good and evil in the world and that Stak would have to rise to fight this evil. He even trained Stak in combat. Silverpoint was the only salvation Stak had since he was taken from his family, and the two grew close. In private, Silverpoint told the administration of the Collective to ramp up the experimentation on Stak. He wanted to create the perfect soldier against evil and he wanted it now. From Stak's perspective, these times when Silverpoint had to leave and lead the Silver Blade, the Collective would continue their cruel experiments. It went on like this for several years, training and learning with Silverpoint then back to the experimentation when he wasn't there. One fortuitous day, during a peroid when Silverpoint was gone for a long while, one of the experimenters left some of their tools behind. Stak quickly swiped this up before they noticed. In his cell he fashioned this into a crude lockpick and, after many failed attempts, managed to pick the lock to his cell. At night when there were fewer guards. He waited until then to make his move. He snuck out of his cell and began to creep out of the facility. On his way out he was spotted, so he ran. Luckily, Stak was small but fast and good at hiding, and once he got out of the facility he was able to lose his pursuers in the woods, where he kept on running. Stak ended up in [COSTAL CITY]. As a young lone Kobold, alone and scared, there wasn't much he could do. He lived on the streets for a while, using his wits and occasionally his combat skills taught by Silverpoint to steal food to survive. One day when stealing from a noble's mansion, he was caught. The sadistic noble, who was a powerful Enchantment wizard, forced Stak to turn his dagger on himself. When it penetrated, the blood that came out was silver-colored, and the dagger was suddenly imbued with radiant energy. The noble momentarily lost concentration in surprise after seeing this, which was just enough time for Stak to throw the dagger, sticking in the noble's neck as Stak ran away. If he was scared and alone before, he certainly was now, now that he was likely on the run as a murderer and had these mysterious powers he didn't understand. A few nights later, he attempted to steal from a particular bar. He heard a noise and tried to run, but the barkeep caught him. The barkeep Brandy Finegirl, upon seeing this scared and emaciated Kobold, took pity on him and took him in, letting him stay in the bar. She quickly began to consider Stak like a child of her own. Stak helped around the bar whenever he could but generally tried to stay out of the way and, in secret, trying to learn more about the powers he now has. Stak lived with Brandy for a few months, until one day when he learned she was going to travel North, to the uncharted territories up there. Stak, wanting to make something of himself, maybe even be a hero like Silverpoint, decided he wanted to go with her. /* The Silver Blade should be seen as heroes by basically anyone who's heard of them. I made a character sheet for Richard Silverpoint. He is a Protector Aasimar of Noble background. He is a Favored Soul Sorcerer, but perhaps it would be better suited as an Oath of Judgement Paladin, considering he is a follower of Kelemvor. Whatever he is, his Charisma is his main asset, leading this organization. Externally he is heroic and kind and a hero of the people but internally he believes he knows what is best for everyone, maybe a little narcisistic, and thinks what he is doing is for the greater good. Most importantly, Richard Silverpoint is NOT evil! He is Chaotic Good, he is the epitome of "the ends justify the means", he would be willing to wipe out an entire continent if it means saving the world from some greater evil. His goals are always good, but his methods may not be. The story of them experimenting on Stak to develop the Ghostslayer probably works better if there aren't Ghostslayers in the world already and they're developing it, but it can still work otherwise, like if they were working to improve it or something. I know there were other Blood Hunters, so Hunter's Bane was definitely already a thing. I'll leave it up to you if it was created by the Collective or not. Regardless, I'd imagine the Silver Blade would probably make some of their own into Ghostslayers with the knowledge they gained. */